Oh Hero Unsung
by matrix935
Summary: James Chesterton is a soldier in the first world war. An accident sends him smack into the middle of Music room 3! Now he must fight a whole new battle. One that will test him in ways he could never imagine. New country, new culture, new time. Will he claim victory, or will the stress and shock overtake him? Character pairing. Some Yaoi. OCxHaruhi.
1. Chapter 1

This world is an anomaly. Things happen every day that just make no sense. Most of the time, us humans are responsible for it. This is the story of one of the strangest happenings is all of history, and though our Ouran friends play a very big role, the story starts a long time ago, in a town far far away. . .

 **(NO POV)**

It all began in the Great War. The first one, to be exact. In a little French town called Moselle. As this is the year 1916, the town itself is all but decimated. This town happened to be very close to the former French-German border, and was one of the first provinces to be take during the invasion. Now that the tides had changed and the English forces were pushing straight through the German lines, the town had become a pressure point for the war. The Germans, eager to protect the town because of its strategic advantage due to the river, and the fact that several scientific research bunkers had been constructed, (whose task it was to create new weapons and machines for the war) had reinforced the reinforcements with line upon line of trenches, soldiers, artillery batteries, and even an entire tank division. The English, knowing only about the importance of the river, amassed it's own "line-breaker" force of over 25,000 men. . . at first. To be supported by air squads and fast moving mounted artillery. A few tanks had also been given, but only for after the German line had broken. It was a sight to see. Thousands of Germans, thousands of English, all teeth bared and ready to fight for his own ideals and perspectives of life. This is the setting, but where is our main character? James H. Chesterton was being briefed with his squadmates on a special mission. British spies had determined that there was indeed at least one research bunker in the town, and it was their job to find it once the Germans had retreated far enough to search the town. That would not happen for quite some time, however.

On a rainy October day, the assault began. The British forces began with a bombardment that lasted three hours. Heavy stationary artillery pounded the German reserves, while the lighter guns peppered the front. After the bombardment, the charge began. The plan was to break on the line like a tidal wave and crush all defenses. It failed miserably. The charge was mowed down by machine gun and rifle fire almost instantly. A retreat was ordered. Another bombardment, this time longer. So it went for weeks. Bomb. Charge. Retreat. Recycle. By November, the death toll on both sides had struck 50,000. Moral was low everywhere. The British were convinced that the Germans would never break; the Germans convinced the British would never stop. The situation looked like a hopeless stalemate. . . until the 16th. On that day, a British platoon commander was so fed up with the endless cycle that he decided to change things up a bit. He organized as many men as he could and initiated a charge ten minutes _before_ the bombardment was over! The Germans, all underground to hide from the shells, were completely unaware. Not only did the charge reach the lines, half of the men were already inside the enemy trenches before a single German noticed. By then it was far too late. The British soldiers, now fueled with the success of the charge and the anger of the last month, were unstoppable! To make things worse (for the Germans) about that time, the other platoons had caught on to their comrades and began their own charges. Before noon hit, the whole of the German line was a feeding frenzy. By nightfall, it was simply a graveyard. The next day, the British woke to find Germany at little farther than it had been before. Enemy forces had retreated deep into the town (which was not deep, as it was little more than a clustered village). Now it was time for James and his men to route out the research bunker.

 **(JAMES PAST TENSE POV)**

"Shit" That was the only thing I could say. Our boys, who have been at it for a month, break through the line. . .the one day I'm not there. Of course! Of course. Why couldn't it have happened TODAY!? Nope, the day I'm sent to deliver a letter to some bloke, seven miles down the line is the day they choose to finally break through. Huh. Figures.

"Welp. That's that. Anyway, ah think it's time for us to pop in. Wha'bout you Rummy?" I said.

"Aw come on James, you know me. I'd have gone two day before we broke 'em!" Remmy said, grinning his green smile.

"I know you would. Crazy fucker. Oi! Fodder! Quite prayin' will ya? Makin me nervous." I yelled. Fodder was the youngest and newest.

Aside from being the thinnest boy in the whole line, he was also pretty tall, for a 17 year old. He was also a devout christian. As in, he prayed for hours. He's crazy too, but in a different way. He really thought God gave a single fuck about him.

"Why do you deny God so much?" Fodder asked, as full of concern as always.

"I don't deny God. I jus know he ain't lookin' thinkin' about me." I replied.

"God loves even you James. He loves all of us. Soon, he will take all of us away. To safety." Fodder smiled to himself.

"Oh come off it you fuckin' loon." I said, angry now, "If God loved us, he'd ah stopped this war. Hell, us being here proves he doesn't, no, he COULDN'T care less about us!"

Fodder shrunk deeper into the corner. A few tears had rolled down his cheek. He was clutching his little cross harder than ever.

"Oh Christ now ah'v done it." I said to myself, "Ah jeez. Come here Fodder. Ah'm not mad at you. . .or God. Ah'm mad about me. The war. Everything. Ah didn't mean it. Come on, give us a hug."

I pulled him into a tight hug. He needed things like that. It was the least we could do. After all, we didn't give him the name Fodder for nothing. . .

"Alright lads! Up and Adam! Let's go! Nobody's got all day to wait for you fat arses." came an all too well known voice from the bunker doorway.

"Fuck yerself Trent." I called back.

"Aww. The little babe aving' a fit? How cute. Fucks he cryin for?" said Trent, motioning to Fodder.

"Poor lad had a nightmare he was on a date with your fuck ugly mum." I said with a little smile.

"You shut your mouth!" Trent yelled, trying badly to take a swing at me.

I moved a little to the left and he tripped over the box I was sitting on. His stubby legs went in the air as he toubled over smack into Tower, who was sleeping in the other corner.

"Now you've done it Trent. Ya woke up Tower. You know how much Tower loves his sleep." I said, trying not to laugh.

Tower was the biggest in our little squad, hence the name. Only man among us who could wield a Lewis Gun by himself. A man of few words, he liked to sleep as much as possible. It was the only thing he liked more than roughing up Trent. And he loved roughing up Trent. His eyes

burst open to find a mop of short, bright blonde hair lying on his chest.

"See somethin ya like there Trent?" said Tower, in his deep yet smooth voice.

Trent, upon realizing who he was lying on, slowly raised his head to meet Tower's stair. A cheeky half smile was plastered on his face.

"OH! Hey there Tower! Funny seeing you down here. Well. . .I gotta go. BYE!" Trent said as he scrambled to get away from the now enraged Tower.

Trent flew out the bunker door like Death himself was chasing him. Tower simply got up and calmly walked out to go find him. I was rolling on the floor laughing the entire time. Knowing them, they'll be back in about thirty minutes. It always take thirty minutes. Trent runs till he trips. Tower walks calmly over, picks him up and flings him in the mud. Tower walks back. Tower goes to sleep. Trent gets yelled at by the Commander for having an "unacceptable amount of filth" on his uniform and for "disgracing the British army". Though today It would have to be different.

I stopped Tower before he could toss Trent. Organizing our little gang, we reported to the Commander's bunker. We were to go into the city under cover of dark. The research bunker was most likely in the basement of one of the saloons. Our mission was to scope out the location of the bunker and get as much information about what the Jerries were doing in there as we could. Simple enough. That night we left. I lead, with Fodder behind me, then Trent, Tower, Rummy, Smith, Lockey, and a John, a field sniper, complements of the Commander. The main road lead right through the heart of the town. Slowly we stalked in the shadows, noting every guard that was on patrol. Eventually we passed by a tavern that had a full line of soldiers around it. That had to be it. Carefully we came around the back and slipped through a little window that lead to the basement. It looked like a regular cellar. Barrels of ale, sacks of various goods, and an array of fine-sih wines. I order everyone to search for a doorway. We all began to quietly look through the cellar. It was John who found it. A stairwell, lightly covered by an empty crate, lead down to a long hallway. We ran down, trying to find a way to hide from any prying eyes. John looked round the corner. A huge room opened up. In the middle was a machine. It looked. . .like a bell? No, that couldn't be right. I looked myself. Goddamn if it didn't look like a bell! An odd, mechanical bell with lots of wires and dials, but a bell. Scientists were scrambling everywhere. A few soldiers were there, mostly for physical labor. Fodder was writing like mad in a notebook. We put him in charge of recording everything.

"Alright lads. We've done everything we can. Let's be off." I whispered, but apparently not quietly enough.

A soldier who had stopped to rest just out of my field of vision, had heard me. Before we had even moved, he grabbed his rifle and fired a shot. It whizzed past my cheek and struck Fodder in the shoulder. He cried in pain, and fell back. Tower, who always had a soft spot for Fodder, became enraged and let loose with his Lewis Gun into the whole room. Before I could stop him he lit the place up. Gunning down soldiers & scientists like it was a new 'hip' dance. "Fuck it" I said and started shooting my own rifle; only I actually took time to aim. Tower just sprayed the whole place. Before we knew it, it was a firefight! Soldiers had come down the hallway and were shooting at us too. We had to clear the bell room and shoot round the corner back down the hall! Rummy, who always played the explosives-expert role, lob a grenade at the ever growing crowd of Germans. The explosion took out a few, but more came. Eventually they got the bright idea of lobbing grenades at _us_. I threw them back as fast as I could. One got off before I could get there and sent me flying into John. He landed hard on his back, firing his scoped rifle on accident. The bullet went straight into the bell. Wherever it hit, it did something. The machine started up, making noise and flashing bright lights. Then it started spinning! Slow at first, then faster and faster, all the while growing brighter. My group stopped shooting, mostly to shield our eyes from the light. We stared in amazement. The humming from the machine was now a roar. Germans had come round the bend, seeing the light. None even looked at us. All of us, Brits and Krauts alike, just stood there. I was closet. Then, I suppose it exploded. A flash brighter than the sun. White noise all around me. Then it's over.

 **(JAMES PRESENT POV)**

My head is spinning. I can't open my eyes yet, the flash was so damn bright! I call out for the other. Nobody answers. I kneel down and rub my eyes.

"Oi! John? Tower? Are you alright? God my eyes sting. . ." I say.

I try to regain myself. Something's wrong. The room feels different. Almost. . .wider? No. It can't be. I open my eyes a bit and notice that, while it is still bright, the light in the room is different. Instead of coming from the bell, it's everywhere. Things are very blurry, but I make out what I could swear was a. . .table? Yes. A pink table. And people? No way. Again I rub my eyes. Now I can see almost clearly. . .there are people! Not soldiers, regular people. Kids, no older than me. It can't be. I raise my rifle and point it everywhere. All seven of the people in front of me look at me like I've grown a second head. . . as if I'M the weirdest thing about this place.

"Where am I? Who are you? WHERE AM I?" I shout.

I look around for the first time, really taking in the room. It's huge! I realize that it's not the table that's pink, it's the whole fucking room! Everything is elaborately decorated. There are more tables, but they're mostly empty, except for a few silver platters. There are marble sculptures on pillars around the room, and even a grand piano! One entire wall of the building is glass. . .no, a window! I run to it and look outside. 'Dear God' I whisper. It's a fuckin castle! Everywhere there are people, dressed like the seven in the room, walking and talking. Wait. . .is that, a horse and buggy?

"You've gotta be kiddin' me" I say.

Shaking my head I return to face the people in the room. It's clear from their faces, they have no idea what I'm saying. Looking at them, I doubt any of them speak english.

"Ok. Well. Um. Let's see. I was in France a few moments ago, so you probably speak French! Shit. . .how did it go?" I say.

I blurt out a semblance of a greeting in broken French; rueing all the days I spent ditching my French classes. One of the strange kids, the blonde one, seems to understand me, and responds in French. I know enough to understand him. He asks me who I am.

"HA! That's fuckin rich. He wants to know who I am!" I say to myself, slipping back into english.

I respond by asking where I am. He says I'm at a school. A music room? Host Club? What's he on about. I ask if anyone knows english. He points to one of the others, a tall, slender kid with glasses and an odd looking clipboard with a pineapple on it.

"Wait. You can understand me?" i ask, turning to the mentioned man.

"Yes. I am fluent in English and German." he says, calmly.

"So why didn't you answer me when I asked the first time!?" I shout, getting pissed.

"Aside from the shock of a strangely clothed man appearing out of nowhere. . .you were pointing a gun at us." he replies.

I pause for a moment. Yeah, that's a good reason. "Whatever. Look. Where am I? I'm probably not still in France. . .or Germany. So, let's start with that. What country am I in?"

"You are in Japan sir. Bunkyo to be exact."

"Japan? You mean, like, across the entirety of Asia, Japan?"

"Yes. I assume you don't know what the date is either?"

I scoff. "I'm lost, not confused. It's November 19, 1916"

The dark haired guy seems taken aback. "Oh my. Sir, I'm afraid you are mistaken. The year date is January 7, 2006."

My heart skips a beat. I pause for a moment, unable to process what the fuck he's saying.

"No it isn't." I say, eventually.

"Here. Look." he says, handing me a newspaper. It's an American stock paper. He points to the date in the corner. January 7. . .2006. My knees give and I fall back. Impossible. It's just impossible. Again my head is spinning. I feel like i'm going to vomit. Blackness overtakes me.


	2. Chapter 2

**HELLO! I AM SO SORRY PEOPLES! I'VE BEEN HAVING A TERRIBLE CASE OF LIFE. I'VE HAD THIS NEARLY FINISHED FOR A WHILE BUT LEFT IT CAUSE REASONS. HERE IT IS. ENJOY! PLEASE RATE/REVIEW AS WELL. I LOVE READING YOUR COMMENTS.**

 **(TWO DAYS LATER)**

I wake up. My whole body feels sore. I'm obviously in a bed. Must be a medic tent. Wait. No. The memories come flooding back. 'Ok. Calm down' I think. 'If you open your eyes and you're in a medic tent, it was all a horrible dream. If you're not. . . then you'll just have to accept whatever comes.' Slowly I peel my eyes open. I am not in a medic tent. 'Well. Suppose thats for the best. I'd die sooner in a Med tent then here.' I chuckle. It's then I notice that I am no longer in my uniform. In fact, I'm not wearing anything at all! Only the bed covers are shielding my nakedness. "Thank God nobody's around." I say to the air. Sitting up, I look around. I'm in a bedroom. It's so large that I think I'm in the music room. I see a bathroom. Slowly, I hobble to it. My legs are sore, mostly from lying still for so long. How long was I asleep? Who knows. Stepping inside the bathroom, my eyes at once see the thing I am looking for. The one thing I have been wanting for months. A bath! I run the water as hot as I can stand it. I let myself settle into the tub. God, it feels like the first hot bath in years. There is soap and a cloth. I scrub myself raw, trying to clean months of dirt, blood, and sweat that has caked to my skin. In the trenches, basic hygiene was a myth; a distant dream that you cling to at night. I was smart enough to at least try to maintain some level of decency. Of my entire platoon, I was one of eight or nine men who had lost no teeth due to gum rot. My smile wasn't always bright, but it was whole damn it! I finish up and dry off with one of the seemingly endless amount of towels. Placed next to the sink is a toothbrush, shaving knife, cream, and hair clippers. It's so beautiful I could almost cry. Carefully, I apply the cream, and shave. The stubble I had managed to grow was finally gone. I trimmed my hair back to it's original length and even gave it a little spruce up with the wonderful hair gel someone had been so kind as to supply.

"My god, if the boys could see me now. I look like a bleedin movie star!" I say to myself in the mirror. Walking out of the bathroom, I feel fantastic! My limbs are loose in a way they haven't been in a long time. 'Wonder if they left me any clothes'. Looking in the closet, I find an array of clothes. Doublets, suits, wedding gowns, clown suits, everything! I pick out a suit and go to the mirror in the corner to see if it fits. In the reflection of the mirror, I see something strange. Doing a full 180, there, lying on an armchair, is a freshly pressed uniform, just like mine. I throw the suit and run to the chair. It isn't my uniform, but it's just like it. It fits snug and warm. I even found my officers cap, sitting under all of it. Soon I'm dressed and ready. Wait. Ready for what? I don't know. However, I get the feeling that I am suppose to meet someone. Probably the people I saw in the music room. Stepping through the double doors, I'm looking down a short hallway. Walking slowly, I soon find that it opens up to reveal a grand staircase, that leads down to the front door of the house. My breath hitches. It's beautiful beyond measure. There's more marble than I knew even existed in the world! So enveloped in the scene, I nearly didn't notice the butler coming up behind me.

"Good afternoon sir. Are you well? Everyone is waiting in the dining room." he says, smiling.

"Ah. Thanks chap. Hang on a minute. You're English!" I exclaim.

"Yes sir. I am the house butler for guests who speak little or no Japanese. You may call me Roger. Now, if you will come with me, we are already very late." he says, motioning down the stairs.

Roger leads me through the house to the dining room. More double doors. The dining room is just as lavish as the rest of the house. As I walk in, the first thing I notice is the table. An enormously long table laid out with everything I could have asked for. Corned beef, roast beef, corn, peas, salmon, crab, lamb leg, tomato soup, and pletely else. Sitting at the sides of the table, there are six of the people I met the other day, with the seventh sitting at the end, the blonde one. He smiles and speaks in French.

"Welcome James, to my humble home. We hope you have had a comfortable stay. Please, help yourself to anything you like."

I understand perfectly and grab a plate. Heaping all my favorite dishes, I sit down and I'm just about to start plowing through it, when Roger clears his throat in at me. He gives me the most polite look of 'dear god eat with a fork you grimy pig'. I laugh nervously and proceed to use the silverware. All eyes are on me. I stare back. The silence is killing me. Eventually, the dark haired kid from before breaks it.

"So, Mr. Chesterton. How are you feeling?" he says.

"Much better, thank you. The bath and shave helped me quite a bit." I reply, trying to sound as posh as I can.

"I am glad. You seem to have had a speedy recovery, after such a traumatic event. I took the liberty of doing a little research on you and I think I have been able to piece together what happened to you. Would you like me tell you now, or would you prefer to wait?" he says.

I look down. "Just tell me straight. I've got this far, might as well know the rest." I say.

"Your name is James Harvard Chesterton. You were a Corporal in the British Infantry during the First World War. 115th Division. Correct?" he asks

"Yes. That's correct." I reply

"On the night of November 19, 1916, you were sent on a mission to obtain intelligence on a secret German research facility. You found it. However, the plan failed and you ended up being discovered. Correct?"

I nod. God, this all seems so silly looking back.

"Now, from there, the details I found are a little fuzzy. It seems there was a devise, some sort of machine that the Germans were constructing. Sometime during the fight, the machine was activated somehow and caused an explosion. Of the eight British soldiers that were sent in, all died. Seven bodies were found, the last being presumed to have disintegrated. You were that body. Apparently, the machine the Germans were building was a suppose to be a decisive with which a person could travel through time. It was called "Die Glocke" or The Bell. It was supposedly still under development, with the leading researcher, Edward Richtofen, off at another research site. It was not suppose to be operational. Somehow, it was, and when it was activated, it sent you here. To our time."

Slumping into my chair, tears begin to form in my eyes. All of my friends, my only friends, dead. Not just that. . .I lived. I lived because I was just a few feet closer. A simple step and I'd have been blown to bits with them. I start to cry. All my emotions up till this point are spilling out of me. Sobbing uncontrollably, I feel a hand on my shoulder. Looking up, I see everyone crowded around me. Closest to me, is a girl, though dressed in men's clothes, who is staring at me. I look deep in her eyes. I can see the care and love she's showing me. Why? Who cares. I need it. Slowly I rise to my feet. Fighting back the tears, I ball up my fists. The girl pulls me into a hug. I give in and hug back. Before I know it, they all start hugging me. It's sweet. Eventually I pull myself together. Wiping my face, I start realizing that I'm screwed. I have no home. No money, no family. . . nothing. How the hell am I going to live. My mind starts racing with possibilities. As if reading my mind, the glasses kid speaks again.

"Listen. My friend, Tamaki Suo, wants you to stay with him, in this house. We understand that you may have questions and concerns. We will take care of that. Besides that, it's probably best that you not go out on your own, seeing as how you don't speak Japanese, or know anything about the culture. . .or this time. All your needs will be taken care of. Please know that we are here if you ever need anything. You've been through more than any of us could imagine. Stay here and we will take care of you."

Choking through the tears I manage to say,"Thank you. I'd like that"

They lead me, in a group, back up to the room I was in before. The blonde says I can keep the room. He asks if I want to be alone for a bit.

"Alone? Why would I want that? I'm already alone. . .just stay. Talk to me. Tell me anything. What's Japan like? What should I know about the future? Anything, just keep me from thinking about anything to do with. . .the past, for a while."

We all pile onto the bed, it's big enough to fit all of us, and they begin to tell me about themselves and the world. Kyoya, the glasses one, acts as an interpreter for the others. I learn a lot from them, and about them. For one thing, I finally get all their names. The blonde is Tamaki. Then there's Mori and Honey, or is it Honi? Then the twins Kaoru and Hikaru. Then Haruhi. They all seem to tense up when I ask why Haruhi is wearing mens clothes. Carefully, Kyoya explains the complicated situation about the 'Host Club' and Haruhi's debt.

"So, she's an indentured servant?" I say.

Kyoya chuckles and tells them what I said. Haruhi says something that I take to be a disgruntled yes, the twins burst out laughing, Tamaki looks like he's just watched his car exploded, Mori smiled, and Honi almost cried when Kyoya explained what indentured servitude ment. Overall the day was filled with mostly laughs and good cheer. Yes, there were some tears, but all was well in the end.

 **(NO POV)**

Later that evening, after they had all wished James goodnight, the Host club snuck away to have a quick meeting before people went home. They gathered in the main living room. Tamaki, being a natural entertainer, had asked the mains to bring hot milk and cookies. They sat on the couches and munched on them while they talked.

"God. It must be awful for him. Losing all his friends and loved ones like that. I hope he can sleep tonight. I know I wouldn't" said Haruhi.

"I know. I can't even imagine losing you guys or Hika like that." replied Kaoru, hugging his twin a little tighter.

"Well, it would seem that fate has made him our responsibility." said Kyoya, with a very determined look on his face.

"Yes! It is our duty as Hosts to make absolutely sure that James has a comfortable and smooth transition into his new life!" Tamaki so vehemently declared.

"Pipe down Tamaki it's not like we're on a goddamn crusade. Yes, I agree that we should all take care of him but I seriously doubt we'll need to do much. I mean he was in the first World War for cryin' out loud." Haruhi chidded.

"Haruhi has a point" piped in Mori and just left his loaded statement in the air.

"Yeah. I mean we know he's a soldier but I bet he still misses his friends." Honi said, finishing Mori's thought.

"Well, if we're gonna take care of him, maybe we should enroll him at Ouran! That way we could keep an eye on him and maybe help him adjust to life in Japan." Tamaki suggested, looking childishly at Kyoya. They all knew, that if anything was going to happen, Kyoya was probably going to have to facilitate it, even if Tamaki's father was the Principal at Ouran.

"Yes. That's probably the best option we have at the moment. It will be better for him than just sitting in here all day. The main problem is that he doesn't speak Japanese. Granted, there are plenty of programs at Ouran for non Japanese speaking people, it will still be difficult. Learning it won't be easy for him, but I'm sure he'll be able to, being around it all the time. But there is something else we haven't thought of yet. He is technically a Veteran. He fought in one of the most horrific wars ever for a least a good two years. That has to have affected him somehow. He may have PTSD or worse. Besides that, he will have certain instincts that are not normal, flashbacks, and other things. We'll have to learn to deal with that. Let's not press it too hard for now, but always keep that in mind." Kyoya's words struck a chord in all of them.

It was true. None of them had thought about _that_ part of his history. He could snap at any moment, and having been in such a bloody war who knows what he'd be capable of! It was just something they would learn to deal with in time. As fate would have it, that time was now.

As they prepared to leave, they all turned to look in horror as a stomach turning scream erupted from the hall. Everyone knew it came from James' room. All as one they rushed down the hall and burst through James' door. That was their first mistake. They turned on the light to see James, still in his PJs, huddled in an upright fetal position at the foot of his bed. He was crying profusely but had a fierce look on his face. It was obvious by the look in his eyes that he was not in the room, at least in his mind. No, in fact, James was experiencing his first bombardment all over again. Shells were raining down everywhere. The trench was rumbling and heaving to and fro. He looked up to see one of his bunkmates, looking through binoculars, suddenly get thrown back and crash into the trench wall. Pieces of his legs and torso were all over James and a few other young soldiers. He huddled tighter into his human ball. Blood and mud swirled all around him. Lights flashed, men screamed, and always there was the ear-splitting thunder of explosions. James' cried and called for help. It seemed like the whole world was ending, right here right now. Yet, there was something else. A tiny sound, desperately fighting it's way through all the thunder to be heard. Slowly it grew, until James could tell it was a voice; obscure and undefined, but still a voice. He looked up, the trench was still there, heaving and shooting up in spurts of dirt and mud. Yet the voice was there. He looked to his left. That's where it was coming from! Still crying he stood as much as he dared, which was little more than a crouch. Down the line he inches, flinching and shielding himself with his arms from the mud and rain and blood. He moved to the voice, now clearer. At last, James mustered the courage to run. He darted toward the wherever the hell the strange ghost was calling from, but before he had taken just two steps, he tripped. As he braced himself to fall into the deep hole of water, he closed his eyes. But he did not meet water. Instead, he was caught. James opened his eyes to realize that Haruhi had caught him, and that he was not in a trench, but in the hallway of Tamaki's house. As his memory lapse subsided, he relaxed a bit, and fell deeper into Haruhi's arms. It was then he realized, that it was her voice that guided him back. He also realized, that she was still talking.

"There we go. Come on back. You're safe now. It's alright." she whispered, soothing his hair. He closed his eyes and relaxed a bit more.

"Ahh. Better. Just relax, ok? I'm here. You're alright. Shhhh. Rest." she said.

After a bit of coaxing, James finally calmed down enough to speak., "Th-thank you. I-I had a. . .a flashback. M-my-my. . .first bombing. I'm better now. I'm alright."

"You had us really worried for a second." said Haruhi. James stared blankly into her eyes. Then, she remembered that he couldn't understand her.

"Oh! Kyoya, tell him what I said." she asked.

Kyoya translated. James, feeling a little foolish and embarrassed by his "episode" decided to stand up. While still a little woozy, he managed to hobble back to bed. He flopped down into the mattress and sighed heavily. It then donned the Host club that James should _probably not_ be left alone. Tamaki pulled the group into a circle.

"Guys. We can't leave him like this. I'm gonna stay here with him tonight. How many of you are gonna join me?" he said.

"I'm so sorry, but I can't. Dad wants me home tonight. I'll see you guys tomorrow at school though. Will James be enrolled by then?" Haruhi asked.

"Yes, but he probably won't go to any classes, just a tour. That and he'll join us for the Host Club. It might be good for him, he can try and connect with some of the guests, but under our watchful eyes, of course." Kyoya was already making plans or who to call.

"Honi has to be home for bed. We have to go." was all Mori gave, with Honi nodding in agreement.

"We can stay boss! We've already got our pjs!" the twins responded in unison.

"I guess I can stay. For tonight at least." Kyoya replied.

"Perfect. I'll watch James, you all go do your thing." Tamaki said, and went away to James' room.

The rest of the hosts made their plans and arranged rides. When those who had to leave where gone, the remaining readied themselves for bed. One by one, except in the case of the twins, the rest filed into bed with James. Kyoya asked James if he felt odd sharing a bed with so many men. James looked at him and laughed.

"Lad, I've lived in a trench with eight sweaty, dirty, mud an' blood caked men for months on end. I think I'll be fine."

Kyoya took a five second pause. Of course. James was a trench soldier. It would only be natural that he was use to sharing a bed with lots of men. If anything, it would be awkward for him. Being attracted to _all_ of the other men in the bed made for an awfully uncomfortable sleep. It wasn't his fault though, how could help having extremely attractive male friends AND being queerer than a three dollar bill. But, such is life. Knowing this however, Kyoya opted to sleep on the edge of the bed, making sure that if an accidental stiffy did occur, it would go unnoticed.


	3. Chapter 3

**WOW. SO SORRY. LIFE WAS HECTIC FOR A GOOD MINUTE THERE AND NOW I'M BACK BEAUTIES. HOPE YOU LIKE THIS CHAPTER AS MUCH AS THE OTHERS, AND AS ALWAYS. THANK YOU FOR READING!**

TIME SKIP: 5 days! Oh boyo...here we go! *jumps into time portal*

James fixed his tie, again. Today was his first day of real school. The thought of going to school again had its own terror. School was not a good thing for him in England. Being from a poorer family had its challenges, but being one of six other poor children in a boarding school was a whole new world. That said, the memories that fought their way to his consciousness did not help with the butterflies he already had in his stomach. 'This is ridiculous.' he thought, 'You're a goddamn soldier. Wadded through rivers of blood and all that. You can bloody well handle a prissy rich school!' With a last huff of courage, James strided through the huge double doors of the school, with the good ol' 'stiff upper lip' of the English. The stares were imminent. Rumors had already surfaced and whispers could be heard as he passed. James couldn't really decide whether it was better or worse that he couldn't understand them. Balling a hand into a fist, James went half soldier mode and marched on.

The map Kyoya had provided had helped immensely, without it James would surely have been lost. This school was huge! Even with the map, he was still 5 minutes late to his first class. He entered to find a whole four other people in the room, not including the teacher.

"You must be . Welcome. I am Mr. Miagi. Please, sit anywhere." said the teacher, in english.

James took a seat near the front, next to a boy with bright curly hair and freckles to spare. Obviously scottish. 'What's a Scott doing in Japan?' James thought, 'Well. This place is fairly famous, so it might attract people from all across the world, since apparently traveling around the world was a snap now!' He was having another argument in his head, when he was torn from it. The Scott was speaking.

"Hellooo? Can ye heer meh?" he said waving his hand in front of James expressionless face.

"What? Oh...sorry. Ahem. Right. What is it?" james replied.

"Ah said, what's yer nemb?" said the scott.

James hadn't heard an actual scottish accent in a while. His ears had to tune into the frequency again. In the trenches he had met plenty, but never served very long with them. "Umm. . .my name? Oh! My name. I'm James. James H. Chesterton. You?"

The scott giggled. "Yer a funeh one arn't ye? A'm Robbi. Wilth an I!" he whisper-thundered.

It was then piped in. "Ahem. Good, now that everyone has, finally, arrived. I shall begin. Welcome to Ouran Academy's Sophomore World History for Non Japanese Speakers. Otherwise known as World History for Foreigners. I will be your instructor. I am Mr. Miagi. Not Mr. Mi. or Mr. Maga. I am . Now. In this course, you will learn and discuss the major events and conflicts in the world, from the War of 1812 to World War II, to 9/11. -"

"I'm sorry. Did you say World War TWO?" James interrupted.

gave a slightly confused and very annoyed look. "Yes I did. Is there a problem with that ?"

"Bloody fuckin' hell! What the fuck did we fight for then?! It was supposed to END ALL WARS! Fucks sake people. . ." James slumped onto his desk.

was briefly about to discipline James for swearing, but something about the way James was so affected made him think. " are you alright? Do you need to see the nurse?"

"No no. I'm fine. Just. . .bad memories. . . .OF SCHOOL! Of school. Yes. That's it. Bad school memories from long ago. B-b-but not that long ago! No, um. Recent! Yes. recent. I-ahhhh. I'll shut up now." James put on the cheekiest grin he could.

wasn't sure if he was horrified or concerned. " . Please, just. . .keep quiet."

"Yeah. . .I was thinkin' that too."

The rest of his classes were not so horrible, though he did have to backtrack in science class when he casually made a comment about how dissecting a frog would be easier with a bayonet. As he dragged himself into Music room 3 for his first Host Club session, he slumped down into the first table he could find.

"Ahhh. Jesus fucking Christ! I've never been so tired. My head hurts. . .my body I can handle. But my head. What can I do then? Huh?" he groaned, "I'd kill for a drink. Few things I do miss about the army. But they kept you gassed that for sure. That'd be nice."

"Nani?"

"Yea-" he stopped. He looked up to see a girl with long brown hair, tied in two ponytails, and a student's dress.

"Oh shit." he muttered. "You know what? Fuck it. Find another table doll." With that he promptly laid his head back down on the table.

Somewhere, in another part of the music room, Tamaki was impressing several young girls at once, when he happened to scan the room, looking for other people to impress. . .or other Hosts to snair. As he gazed about the place, his eye settled on James. Not just on him, but on the horrified girl at the other end of his table. Immediately racing over, thus sounding the alarm for other Hosts to help, Tamaki dashed over to rescue the damsel. In a second he had swooped the young flower out of her chair and into his arms.

"Don't worry little love. I am here." he whispered.

An eruption of girly screams nearly shattered the glass in the whole school. Cameras on phones flashed. Girls fainted. A plate, two shoes, and a pair of panties went flying in different directions. Tamaki, the total attention whore that he was, basked in the glory. Kyoya was behind the crowd, pushing the other hosts into the moshpit of girls and simultaneously adding in the cost of a new plate with all the money they were going to make in the future because of this stunt. The other Hosts joined in and took their positions naturally. All accept Haruhi, who had to be manhandled into a suitable stance. All this took place, while James was silently having an attack, far behind the ring. Screams, flashes, writhing masses of bodies. He shut his eyes. The girls voices changed and distorted horribly. No longer cries of joy but pure anguish. Agony and death filled his nostrils. He was breathing hard. Every desperate pant an effort for air. The world peeled back again. Music room 3 melted away to Brest, France. No trench this time. This was No Man's Land. The horrible empty space of pure death that lay between two warring trenches. Holes from shelling spotted the area like a checkers board. Each filled with as much gore as could make a man turn white with shock. He looked forward. Men, faceless and shadowy, where running away from a bright light that pierced the heavy fog. Each man would run not ten feet to be cut down by a little pinpoint line of white light, followed by a thousand of its tiny brethren. The machine gun. Bane of every assault team. The mincer of men. James tried to run but was unable to move. He fought with all his might to take a single step, but his limbs would not budge. He watched at the endless flow of bullets moved slowly to hi direction, never stopping, never ceasing to kill as it moved. Now the urge to move was unbearable. He writhed and squirmed but to no avail. At last he gave up. Tears drenched his face as he begged to whatever vile god was keeping him in place to let him go. To stop the awful gun. Then, it stopped. The flashing stopped. The bullets ceased. For a blissful moment, there was silence. Before James could breathe a sigh of relief, a new sound came forth. Worse than the clack-clack-clack of the machine gun. This was a deep, grinding sound. Menacing and heartless. Ching-ching-ching in quick succession. James looked all around but saw nothing, only the fog. As he turned forward again, his eyes widened. The worst machine of them all. . .a tank. A metal monster that tore through lines like paper. He stared down the mounted cannon, peaking ever so slightly out of the front of the beast. As the beast neared and drew closer, James' begging and sobbing only worsened. He screamed as the monster heaved and reared up like a horse, ready to crush him. Just before it could, he was thrown back to reality.

He slowly opened his eyes to find the exact same sight he had seen before. A ring of adolescent girls doting on the other Hosts. He found also, that he had been crying. His face stung a bit, and his collar was wet. He looked at his hands. They were damn near buried into the armrests of his chair. A hand was lightly squeezing his left. He glanced up to meet Haruhi's eyes. Just as before. Filled with concern, with. . . James wiped away his tears.

"I'm sorry. I'm just being silly again. I'll be fine." he said, trying not to look like a fool again.

Haruhi, picking up that he was indeed uncomfortable, gave his hand a tug. He looked up. She nodded in the direction of the door. How he longed to run through those doors. He looked back to the ring, it was still there. With a last nod of agreement, they rushed out the door. They ran till they (haruhi) couldn't run anymore. When they stopped, they were in an odd part of the school. High pillars reached up to the edge of the sky it seemed. A wide open space, filled with sunlight was in the middle. It was empty, and there was an sense of peace James had not felt in too long of a time. He looked at Haruhi, who was still recovering from the run. He was fine. He just laughed at how tired she was. She muttered something that he took to be a "fuck off", then she laughed. Together they rolled on the ground, laughing at some silent joke, neither one of them was in on. When they did stop, they sat shoulder to shoulder against a pillar.

"Hehe. Ya know, this would be even better if we could understand each other." James said, while trying to mime it.

Whatever weird thing he did it worked. Haruhi brightened up, then held up her hand in a signal to hold on. She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a small device, that looked like a cell phone. She spoke into it, and it spoke back, but in english!

"Here. We can use this." it said, in a very montone, slightly english accent.

James was in wonder. Haruhi giggled at his face. She pressed the button, and motioned for him to speak.

"I-is it working?" he said, and a moment later, it came back in perfect Japanese. Dumbfounded doesn't begin to describe how James felt. Eventually, he got over his amazement and was holding a full conversation with Haruhi.

"Yeah. I miss mom, but I've come to accept it now. I can't imagine how you must feel." she spoke.

"Well, I don't know really. Shock don't really cut it. To be frank, I haven't quite mourned for my friends or family yet. Just don't think about it most of the time."

"I get that, but you shouldn't hold that stuff in. It's gonna come out sometime. If you bottle it up, it'll explode and you'll do something you regret."

"Probably. . .Hey. I meant to ask. Why is it that every time I have an uh, episode, that it's you who gets me out of it?"

"I don't know. I've always been the one who likes helping people, and seeing you like that. . .I can't just sit by and watch you suffer."

James took a moment to let that sink in. Few people in his life had ever been so kind, and never this quickly. He was touched.

"Thank you. I know I literally can't say it most of the time but, it does mean the world to me."

"No problem! I know you'd do the same for me."

The blush on James' face when the translator spoke that could have made a cherry jealous, which he quickly tried to hide by turning his head. It was true, but he didn't yet know why. After a second to collect himself, he turned back to face to Haruhi. As he did, he became immediately aware that her face was much closer than it had been a moment ago. Before he could properly react, they were locked in a light kiss. The shock of the sudden kiss was bad enough, but the shock of not being able to pull himself away made it a hundred times worse. . .or better; he couldn't yet tell. Once the two broke slowly, Haruhi just smiled at him, the same way she always did. James had to blink a bit, to make sure it wasn't a dream. Seeing his expression, Haruhi grabbed the translator and spoke calmly.

"Are you ok? I'm sorry if I scared you. I thought you'd like it."

Once knocked out of his dilearium, James replied shakilly. "NO! No. That was. . .bloody brilliant. I loved it I just. . .wasn't ready that's all."

"Oh, well. Would you like to try again?"

"Jesus Christ YE-. . .I mean, ahem. Yes. Yes I would."

This time, much more prepared than before, Haruhi closed in on James and the two kissed again. James was even bold enough to bring his hand to her cheek and press a little harder into it, which Haruhi didn't mind at all. Parting once more, they sat for a while in silence, just enjoying each other's presence. Before too long however, Haruhi's phone rang. She looked with dread at the caller ID. Tamaki Suoh. 'Shit,' she thought, 'If he ruins this moment for me I'm gonna beat his rich ass to death.' With a deep breath, she answered the phone.

"Hello Tamaki-" but she was cut off by depressed wailing and incoherent sobbing that eventually turned into what sounded like a few words.

"Haruhiiiiii! I was so worried! You left without saying goodbye. . . ."

"Oh for the love of- Damnit Tamaki! I do not have to report to you every time I want to leave somewhere! I have my own life and I will live it as I see fit! Now do me a favor and FUCK. OFF." With that, she promptly ended the call.

Now, James knows almost no japanese, however even he could comprehend pure rage when he say it. He honestly didn't know Haruhi was capable of yelling like that. It was like seeing a rabbit tear grown men to pieces. It frightened him, and in an odd way turned him on. Whatever it was, he knew she was pissed now. She was so angry at the call, she didn't even seem to be looking at anything, just straight ahead, with an expression of discontent on a molecular level. Tentatively, James reached out and took her hand. She snapped out of her funk and turned wide eyed to the Englishman next to her, and immediately cheered up. 'Aw. How sweet,' she thought, "he does like me!' 'Don't fuck this up. Don't fuck this up.' was the only thought running in James' head at the moment. Again, a period of staring into eachothers eyes for no explicable reason. Then, another phone call! This time from the Prince of Darkness himself. Kyoya, not Lucifer.

With dripping indifference Haruhi answered the phone. "Yes Kyoya?"

In his usual calm demeanor, Kyoya responded. "Hello Haruhi. Listen, I don't mean to bother you, but may I ask why you insisted on shouting at Tamaki so?"

"Because I am nearly grown and he's not my father. I don't feel like apologising for going where I please."

"All valid points, I agree. But did you need to shout at him? You know how he gets. He's practically got a farm of mushrooms growing up the entire wall of the music room. It's a bit unsettling now."

"Well tell him to quit whining and get over it. I'm not his child and I'm not his play thing. I have my own life. . .and a boyfriend." The last part was said with a bit more confidence than before.

"Really? Well now, that is an interesting development. When did this happen?"

"A few minutes ago. Which is why I yelled at Tamaki. He interrupted."

"Oh! I see. Well then all is forgiven and I shall give him a stern talk. Please, do have fun. You have earned it. Ahh, and one last thing. I'm sure you're having fun, but it is getting late, would you like me to have a car pick you. . .and your significant other up?"

Haruhi looked at James, who was busy rummaging through his satchel for a knife he hid, in case of emergencies. . .or extreme boredom. "Yes. Thank you. Just have them pull up to the front of the school in about. . .and hour."

"Will do. And Haruhi. . ."

"Yes Kyoya."

"Tell James hello for me" *click*

Haruhi shocked to her core. 'How could he know!? Wait . . .oh. I and James were the only ones missing weren't we? Oh lord.' A facepalm of defeat summed up her feeling perfectly.

THAT NIGHT:

That night, Haruhi had decided she needed a girls night. Fun, gossip, hair, and talk about boys. She naturally she called Kyoya, Mori, and Honey for a sleepover. Normally they invited the twins too, but they had arrangements planned that night, and couldn't make it. They decided on having it at Kyoya's, since it was his turn. Haruhi packed her usual sleepover bag, kissed her dad goodnight, and crept into the limo waiting outside. Once at the fabulous mansion, she made herself right at home in Kyoya's room. Mori and Honey were already there and in their pjs. They each greeted her with a big hug, and fell in unison on the enormous bed. Right off the gossip started, in a circle. First it was Mori's turn.

"So. How are things with Hika?" Kyoya asked impatiently, clutching a pillow under his chest.

Mori gave one of his famous half sigh, half chuckles, "Good."

The rest sighed in unison. "Come on! You've been secretly dating for a year now! Have things gotten, spicy yet?" Haruhi almost begged.

Mori, making good on a dramatic moment, drew out the silence till it nearly burst. Then, his simply said, "He is a very good lover." Voracious giggling ensued.

"Ok. Next up is Honey. Anything new?" Haruhi said, rolling on her back to look at Honey.

The lolitta thought intensly for a moment, then said, "I had my butt smacked in the hall the other day!"

The group was a silent mix of horror and intrigue.

Seeing this, Honey followed up in the same sweet tone was always, "Oh! Its ok. He was really cute. I think I'll give him a smack back tomorrow." Honey hugged his bunny tightly.

Haruhi, having grow use to Honey's oddly domineering antics, sighed and moved on. "Guess its me huh?"

Kyoya nearly jumped out of bed with excitement, which made him look as jittery as Honey. A rare sight to see indeed. "Indeed Haruhi. Though I didn't know you had a thing for time travelers. . .or men in uniform?" he said slyly, to the shock of Honey, and the slightly more reactive grunt of Mori.

Haruhi giggled nervously, "Yea. Its true. . . we may or may not have kissed today."

Gasps of glee were heard all round.

"Yep. Twice." More gasps.

"Haruhi! You lucky little. . .ooh. You must be quite proud of yourself. Bagging a guy eighty years your senior?" Kyoya joked, earning him a heartfelt slug in the shoulder. "I kid. But really, I'm happy for you. Granted, it was a bit fast, but I knew it would happen."

"Meh. I'm happy with it. But enough about me. Your turn stick boy! And I KNOW you have something to tell. Spill bitch." said Haruhi, with a glimmer in her eye.

Kyoya blushed a thousand different reds and promptly buried his face in a pillow. After much egging on by Haruhi and Honey, and even a nudge from Mori, he relented.

"OK! Ok. I . . . I asked out Tamaki today."

"AHHHH! Kyoya! That's great!" Haruhi exclaimed, engulfing the poor man in a huge hug.

"Hrrrhipphphp" he replied, speaking through Haruhi's armpit, when she realized this, she let go and he tried again. "Thank you. Yes I did. And I actually have to thank you Haruhi. You shouting at him put him in the perfect mood for me to 'come to the rescue'."

"But what did he say?" Honey asked, bouncing like a ball.

Kyoya, again turning red, sheepishly squeaked out a "yes" under his breath. That was all they needed to cover him in hugs and giggles. But before long, they noticed that Kyoya was silently crying abit. Taken aback by this sudden turn, they all rushed to ask what was wrong, to which he replied,

"Nothing! Nothing. I'm just happy. . . its funny. I remember three years ago being the most closeted man in Ouran, and liking my best friend, and just feeling like I'd never work up the courage to ask. Thanks to you all . . . I just.-" and then he broke down into a bittersweet sob.

Understanding completely their friend, Haruhi, Mori, and Honey all comforted him until he could regain his composure. After, they realized how tired they all were, and decided to cuddle in a big ball of blankets, pillows, and love.


End file.
